Chapter Eleven
Roan, phone pressed to his little, glanced once more at Uncle Tony as a final ring went off. Uncle Tony, who was leaning over the back of the driver's seat, grinned wildly and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The ringing stopped abruptly, and the first thing out of Roan's mother's moth was, "Honey, are you OK? What happened?"
"I'm fine, Mom." His blue eyes flicked to Uncle Tony again, who nodded and signaled for him to keep going. "I was calling to see if I could go suit shopping with Uncle Tony."
"Tony isn't your uncle," his mom replied uncertainly after a moment of silence. "And I'm not sure that he's the best person to take you, well, anywhere."
Uncle Tony shot Roan a meaningful look. Taking a deep breath, Roan replied. "Tony asks that I call him 'Uncle'. Please, Mom? He was most upset when I couldn't 'suit up' because I had no suits. Besides, Aunt Carter will be coming with us."
"Hi, Lily!" Aunt Carter shouted helpfully from the shot-gun seat. "I promise won't let Tony ruin your child!"
"Hey!" Uncle Tony looked genuinely hurt. "I was never gonna ruin the kid! I was gonna get him a suit! Every man needs a suit!"
Roan, like he assumed his mother had, ignored this. "Please? We won't be gone too terribly long. And if we are, Uncle Tony has promised to take Aunt Carter and I out for dinner. I will be fed and properly clothed when I return. Please?"
There was a pregnant pause, and for a moment, Roan was sure that his mother had discovered that he was lying. His heart beat faster, pounding against his chest, but it nearly stopped when she sighed, "Alright. You can go - but be good!"
"I will, Mom!" Roan promised. Upon figuring out that his mother had granted him permission to go with them, Aunt Carter and Uncle Tony exchanged high fives and sounds of glee. "Bye! I love you!"
Before she could reply, Roan hung up on her. Almost immediately afterwards, a sinking feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. He'd just lied to his mother. Lying was the one thing that he was not allowed to do, under any circumstances. And here he'd done it, for no reason other than that Uncle Tony had asked him to.
They were not going suit-shopping. They'd already been suit-shopping. Roan anxiously pulled at his little tie because for some reason, it felt like it was getting tighter.
His guilt was quickly replaced by excitement as his 'uncle' turned and beamed at him from over the top of his sunglasses. "You know the plan, right?"
"Yes," Roan said with a nod. "You are my father and Aunt Carter is my mother. We have an interview at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters because you feel that I am too advanced for a normal school. While you speak with Professor Xavier, I am to stall. I am to pretend that I wish to attend school there, and treat the interview like it's real."
"I think I may cry," Uncle Tony told him, smiling in approval. "That was perfect. This plan is perfect. Nothing can go wrong!"
"Except for that fact that you didn't actually bother to look up anything about this school. For all we know, it's actually an art college that has an amazing basketball team," Aunt Carter pointed out. "And you didn't even get directions."
With a snort, Uncle Tony rolled his eyes and readjusted himself behind the wheel. "I don't need directions. I'm Tony Stark."
"And I'm Carter McIntyre, but that doesn't change the fact that you got lost on your way to the bathroom yesterday. Seriously, ask for directions."
"We live in a big house," he grumbled, turning the keys into the ignition. The Bentley roared to life.
"We live on a big continent."
"Shut up."
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
Bruce woke up from his little cat-nap (or twenty-two hour coma, depending on how you looked at it) to discover that sometime during the afternoon/night/morning, his fever had broken and his headache was mostly gone.
He did, however, have to sprint to the bathroom and hurl up whatever he'd eaten the day before. Judging by the color... well, to be perfectly honest, he had no idea what he'd had, but he felt better with it out of his system.
Mostly.
His whole body ached, and his skin was unreasonably itchy. Being the logical scientist that he was, Bruce mentally ran through a list of possible causes. The most likely was that he'd developed or discovered an allergy. They had had sushi last night. It'd been years since he'd eaten that.
Deciding to just avoid seafood for the time being, Bruce ran a hand through his hair and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He winced.
Dark circles under his eyes made him look like the walking dead. That, and the fact that his skin was unnaturally pale and sickly looking. Despite the fact that he didn't feel sick anymore, a thin layer of sweat covered his skin. Bruce looked horrible.
He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up. With a sigh, he shook his head out like a dog, then turned on the shower.
Maybe that would make him feel better.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
"Well, hello," Tony leered as soon as the door to Xavier's School was opened by a beautiful African American woman. She was strong and tall, holding herself like royalty. Her short, white and gray hair was tucked back behind her eyes, and she glared at Tony with dark eyes.
Carter elbowed Tony in the gut. "You're married," she reminded him angrily.
"So are you." He raised his eyebrows, eyes darting from her to Roan.
"I am not - " Carter stopped when she remembered that, just for today, she was married - and to Tony, no less. " - going to grace that comment with a response... dear," she finished lamely. Well, it looked like they had the 'bitter married couple' deal down pat.
The other woman coughed and gave them a tight smile. "My name is Ororo Munroe," she greeted. "I'm a teacher here at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, as well as a former student. You must be the... Diggles, am I correct?"
"Yup!" Tony grinned as he wrapped an arm around Carter's shoulder. "I'm Dadelous Diggle, and this is my wife, Mrs. Diggle! Roan here is our son. We're hoping to send him here next year for school."
Ororo gave them a look before hiding it and smiling again. "Of course. You've scheduled an interview. Before you can speak with the professor, we need to establish whether or not Roan is fit for this school. This can be a sensitive subject, so I understand if - "
"Not at all sensitive!" Tony assured her, the grin never leaving his face. "Our little boy is an absolute genius - a real 'gifted youngster'. That's why we came here."
Ororo's eyes flickered from Tony to Roan. She shifted her weight from foot to foot before finally looking back up at the 'parents', a scowl on her face. "I'm not sure that you understand what this school is for."
"It's for gifted youngsters," Tony replied. "It says so in the name. That's why we came here." When Ororo shook her head, angry look intensifying, Tony shrank back with a little squeak. Then, glaring at Carter, he said, "Feel free to jump in at any time, darling."
Carter shrugged. "You're doing an excellent job of screwing this up on your own."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Ororo took a step forward. Her eyes flashed (Carter swore that they actually turned pure white for a moment) dangerously. "Magneto sent you, didn't he? Did he really think that'd we wouldn't catch you?" She let out a laugh, shaking her head. "No, you're from the government. You thought you could just come in here. That you could easily get to us."
This time, her eyes did turn pure white. Wind swirled around them, forming a miniature tornado. Carter immediately reached out and pulled Roan into her in an attempt to protect him from the now swirling debris.
"You stupid, stupid people!" Ororo snarled. "You were wrong to think that you could fool us."
Ororo moved her hands, lightning crackling around her. But then, she stopped suddenly. The air went still, and she stared out at nothing, brows drawing together slightly. With a snort, she stepped aside, glaring at them. Reluctantly, she said, "The professor wishes to speak to you."
Carter and Tony exchanged glances. "Um," Carter said, "yeah, I think we're fine now. We'll just google - "
You will not find anything about Logan anywhere but here, a calm, deep voice said in her head. A voice that was not her own. Carter spun around wildly, looking for the speaker. As far as she could tell, it was just the four of them. And it seemed that Tony had heard it too, because, with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open like that, he looked as surprised as Carter felt.
A smirk crossed Ororo's face. "That would be the professor," she informed them. "His office is just upstairs. You and Mr. Stark may go and see him - but he wants for Roan to come on a tour with me.
"If you think we're just gonna hand over the kid after you tried to pick us up in a tornado," Tony snarled, bristling, "you got another thing coming, lady."
Ororo... hung her head? In shame? That was certainly what it looked like. Carter subconsciously edged away from the seemingly bipolar woman. "I'm sorry," Ororo apologized. "I thought you were part of Stryker's team."
"We have no idea what you're talking about," Tony said. "What's a Stryker, because if you had me guess, I'd say it was some kind of drink. Like a martini or something."
"Stryker was a person, and a bad one at that. His goal in life was to purge the world of mutants. He died years ago, but his division is still trying to carry out his goal." Ororo smiled then. "It's a sensitive subject for us X-Men."
"You what?" Carter asked at the same time Tony said, "You guys are real? That's awesome! I love you guys!"
Ororo kept the same peaceful smile on her face. "The professor will explain everything. Roan, if you'll just come with me."
Roan looked back to them with large blue eyes. He was asking for permission, Carter was sure of it. Before she could respond, Tony pushed him forward with a "You'll be fine, kiddo."
As Ororo and Roan headed off to begin their tour, Tony and Carter trudged up the stairs.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
Charles had decided a long time ago that reading people's thoughts was rude. However, if he just happened to hear them, that was perfectly alright. So, when he heard Carter McIntyre think I just handed my nephew over to a group of serial killers with a cool group name, he laughed out loud.
The door to his office opened, revealing two people; one, a man who radiated confidence and ease, and the other a woman who did the same, only caution was mixed in with her air. Charles smiled kindly at them both.
Tony Stark grinned and bounded across the room. "Professor X! It's great meet you - you're freaking awesome. OK, so I'm thinking of a number between - "
"Pi," the telepath answered. Tony looked surprised, and then annoyed. Charles knew that the billionaire's goal form then on would be to trip him up, but that was not about to happen. "But that's not what you came to ask, is it?"
"We came to ask you about Logan." Carter stepped forward and then sat down in a seat across from Charles and his wheelchair. "Our friend Steve thinks he knows him. And Steve is, like, ninety-odd years old."
Charles smiled; he'd known that was coming. "You could have asked Logan yourself, if you were so worried. I highly doubt that he would have turned you into human shiskabobs, despite your fears." When Carter opened her mouth, he explained, "My mutation allows me to read and influence the minds of those around me. All of the X-Men, as well as the students here at our academy, can do something spectacular. Logan is a mutant."
Tony held up his hand. "Uh, yeah. So, because you're mutated, you have powers? I never really understood that part. Because I could have six-fingers on my right hand, technically be a mutant, and the only thing special about me would be that I killed Inigo Montoya's father."
"Not all mutations give you powers," Carter explained, suddenly making a connection. "You only get powers if your genetic structure is changed. By definition, I'm a mutant. The gamma shot I took changed something inside me, and gave me powers. Bruce turning into the Hulk was a mutation."
Charles nodded. "Quite right, Carter. Your mutation allows you to manipulate energy and turn it into a solid form, as well as gives you increased strength when called for. Dr. Banner's mutation caused him to transform into a beast of extraordinary power." Charles pushed himself back from the desk and wheeled over so that he could face them better. "Mutations differ, depending on the person. Ororo can control the weather, as you saw. We have a student here who can walk through walls, and another who can turn himself into metal. A true iron man," he joked.
"Along with his claws, Logan has an extremely effective healing factor. It has kept him the same age for over a hundred years now, and a way to kill him has yet to be discovered."
"That explains why he still looks the same," Carter noted. "But it doesn't tell us why he didn't tell Steve that he knew him."
"I think he's just a dick," Tony supplied helpfully.
Charles chuckled and shook his head. "While Logan can be... difficult at times, he is a good man. He has not said anything to Captain Rogers because he does not remember him. There was... an accident. For nearly twenty-five years now, he has walked this Earth with no memory of his past. The memories will all eventually return to him, but for now it's like trying to finish an incomplete puzzle. He's slowly putting the pieces together."
"So..." Tony raised an eyebrow at the professor. "He is a dick, but a dick with amnesia?"
"Yes."
Carter sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Figures. We can never get anyone who doesn't have some sort of tragic or mysterious past or some other personal problem. It's like you have to be messed up to become an Avenger."
"They probably ask if you've been traumatized in some way on the recruitment form." Tony nodded. Then, an idea forming, he turned to Charles with a grin on his face. "So, Professor, have an issues?"
Charles just smiled and gestured to his wheelchair. "Would you like to take a guess?"
